I made a mistake when I assumed that I just did not have any wisdom teeth. My mom never had to have her wisdom teeth removed, so I guess I thought I'd be the same. Unfortunately, my dentist recently mentioned that I needed to have them removed soon, well past the average age that my peers had already undergone the procedure. I was told I have the mouth of a 25-year-old. Wisdom teeth are just there until you feel them one day and they need to get taken out. Your dentist might say you don't need to get them out. You might not even have wisdom teeth! However, that's usually not the case for most adults.

When it comes to big things like this, I get a little nervous and start overthinking. Complex decisions start at the very first step of it all — choosing whether to be awake or asleep for the procedure. It's critical to be informed of what is going to happen and what needs to happen. If your wisdom teeth are starting to come out or if you're experiencing pain because they are impacted, the first thing you should do is to pay a visit to your dentist. The dentist will tell you if you need to remove your wisdom teeth and if so, when. They will refer you to a surgeon who can take them out. Make sure to get multiple opinions from different dentists until you've heard from three in the field that you need to get them out. Your next concern should be who will perform the extraction. I suggest seeing who your insurance provider has or asking friends who have had their wisdom teeth taken out.

You have to be prepared for getting your wisdom teeth out. Whether it's local anesthesia or general anesthesia, you must follow all of the instructions given. Ask the necessary questions — I did when I went for a consultation. I was put to sleep and do not remember anything that happened. When I woke up, there were four teeth on the table beside me. I brought my mom with me to drive me back home. The best part of all of this is the post-extraction diet: cold treats. You can have smoothies, ice cream, açai — all those good soft foods you've been dying to eat anyway. As soon as I got my wisdom teeth out, I stopped at Go Greek to get a cup of the seasonal peanut butter flavor.

It is important to give yourself time to recover and know that everything will be alright. If your wisdom teeth never come in, that's fine too. These are my words of wisdom. I'm still recovering, but I feel a lot better now that I take antibiotics and eat tons of ice cream.